One Week in Jamaica
(Paid for entirely with points)
Intro
Jamaica was an absolutely magical place, but there were a few things I’d do differently if I had to do it again. I made a rookie mistake in the booking process that ended up costing me.
As always, I didn’t spend a penny out of pocket on Lyft airport food/drinks, hotel, meals, plane tickets, and more.
Negril, Jamaica
Negril holds a special place in my heart. We had our first ever all-inclusive vacation there and absolutely loved it.
We chose Negril for a few reasons:
It’s ultra affordable and has price points at every level.
The weather is always hot, the beach is very calm and great for swimming with your younger kids
Jamaica is one of the cheaper Caribbean islands and Negril is a bit more authentic than the mega resorts closer to the Montego Bay Airport.
Cliffs vs 7 Mile Beach
People visiting Negril either stay on 7 Mile Beach or close to it, or the Cliffs.
Cliffs
The Cliffs offer a bit more shade and you won’t get as many people approaching you trying to sell you things. Most of the resorts have a pool overlooking the ocean and the views are quite picturesque. There’s the infamous “Rick’s Cafe” as well as many good restaurants. Cliff diving, amazing sunsets, and a relaxed atmosphere. Can’t go wrong here, especially if you want a quieter spa-like vacation.
7 Mile Beach
Quite possibly my favorite beach in the world. It’s not pretentious at all, and there are incredibly affordable options for accommodations. It’s impossible to not be happy here. Everyone you walk by has a huge smile on their face.
The water is very calm and warm. This made for great swimming with our toddler, and we were able to spend a good chunk of the day in the ocean. If you want a relaxing vacation on the beach in the hot sun, 7 Mile Beach is a good choice.
Just note that there are a lot of people walking up and down the beach trying to sell you trinkets, marijuana, boat rides, etc. Simply say no with a smile and they’ll move on.
Hotel
We stayed at an all-inclusive on 7 Mile Beach, not operated by Hyatt. We stayed at this same place before, so we already knew what to expect and knew that we’d like it.
Let’s cover the booking process first.
The Booking Process
We’ve developed a rule when it comes to family vacations.
If we need to pay out of pocket we don’t go.
***Spoiler Alert*** We go on a s***ton of vacations and max out our PTO on mostly international trips
Hotel
We booked the hotel on Expedia with my Citi Premier since this was not a Hyatt property and I didn’t want to use my Chase points.
This allowed me to earn extra points with Chase/Fluz, and I was able to use my Citi TYP to cover all of the hotels with cashback.
Very smooth booking process.
All things equal, if I’m booking a hotel with cash and using point to cover the charges, I’d much rather use Citi points and save my Chase points.
The nightly rate was a bit elevated as it’s Spring Break for many US schools, but the points covered it.
Flights
We booked our flight with JetBlue and the cash rate was surprisingly cheap. Again, I used the Citi Premier here so I could earn extra points with Chase/Fluz and then redeem ThankYouPoints to cover the entire charge.
We opted for 3 seats altogether in economy class as it was relatively short flight and the cash rate was cheap.
Using my Citi Premier to book ended up being a BIG mistake.
Our flight ended up getting delayed 10 hours in total on the way home, and neither Citi nor JetBlue was able to offer any compensation for the delay.
As cAMm pointed out, he had a shorter delay, and Amex was able to refund him in full.
Going forward, I’ll stick to CSR or Amex Platinum when booking flights, if I’m not using points.
Airport Shuttle
Negril is roughly an hour and a half away from the Montego Bay Airport. This is both good and bad. Good in the sense that it’s too far away for the mega tourists and you get a more authentic Jamaican vibe. Bad in the sense that it obviously takes longer to get to.
A taxi or shuttle should cost you around $100 from Montego Bay Airport plus tip.
Much better to schedule your van in advance than try to hail a taxi at the airport.
Hotel
For privacy purposes, I can’t reveal exactly where I stayed.
We liked it so much that we are considering spending significant time there and treating it almost like a timeshare or vacation home.
But I can say this. If you’re looking for a beautiful beach in the hot Caribbean sun, you can’t go wrong with anywhere on 7 Mile Beach.
Just note that it’s a bit more rustic and less of a touristy experience than many people are used to. There will be guys selling bags of weed out in the open. There will be a bit of grittiness to it, but it’s all part of the authentic charm.
We felt super safe the entire time we we’re there.
Beach/Security
Probably my favorite beach on the planet. It looks like a damn Corona commercial and it wasn’t particularly crowded. You can swim out as far as you’d like and it’s so calm, it’s great for kids. Definitely bring your sunscreen. We had very little rain and it was almost 90F during the day.
There were multiple security guards and we felt safe walking up and down the beach. We put all our valuables in our safe, and didn’t worry about our safety the entire time we were there.
At night, we walked around the beach as there were multiple bars/restaurants with live reggae music.
Drinks/Bars
Fantastic cocktails and ice cold Red Stripe. No complaints here, but I also enjoyed taking a stroll along the beach and finding other beach bars to explore. There’s no shortage of beach bars overlooking 7 Mile Beach, so no need to stick to your resort.
Restaurants/Food
Food was good. Really good. A big reason why we returned and will certainly go back. The thing I like about Jamaica was, they stuck with what they know. Gourmet, local Jamaican food. They didn’t have a Hibachi and Italian restaurant like most places and we definitely appreciated the authenticity of the local food.
General Thoughts and Closing Remarks
As my wife and I sat on our beach chairs admiring the ocean, we reflected on all the beach getaways that we’ve gone to over the past few years.
Negril is definitely towards the top of that list.
It’s different than the other spots. It has a special free spirited vibe that we haven’t seen anywhere else.
It’s a bit simpler.
It got me thinking…It’s not always worth going to the most expensive place you can just to flex on the Gram.
I will definitely be back, and I recommend it for anyone that’s looking for something different than the mega resorts.
If you’re looking to book a similar trip with your points, please reach out in the Slack Group for help and suggestions.
Disclaimer: None of this is to be deemed legal or financial advice of any kind.